Hodag soccer falls to Pines, takes 4th in GNC

EAGLE RIVER —The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team put forth a better effort on Thursday than in its first matchup with the Northland Pines Eagles but couldn’t overcome the Eagles’ 12th man in the second half. 

That extra attacker was the wind, which aided in goals by brothers Cody and Tyler Vojta just six minutes apart midway through the second half and proved to be the difference in a 2-0 win for the Eagles in Eagle River.

The Hodags had some chances with the stiff southerly breeze to their backs in the first half, but couldn’t put a ball home. Pines made the most of its chances in the second, scoring off a breakaway and a corner kick to finish second on a crazy final day of Great Northern Conference play. 

The Eagles were still alive for a conference title, but didn’t get the upset they sought as Lakeland knocked off Antigo 4-0 to edge Northland Pines by one point for the conference crown. Meanwhile, Rhinelander was relegated to fourth in the GNC by Mosinee later in the evening as the Indians scored three times in the final 12 minutes to stun Medford 3-2 at Raider Field. 

Despite the result, Hodag coach Nathan Bates said his side gave a much better effort than in its first meeting against the Eagles — a 5-1 loss for Rhinelander last month in the Hodag Dome. Bates said he hopes that momentum carries into the playoffs on Thursday when the Hodags travel to New London. 

“It was a lot different than the first round of conference play against them. I’ve been seeing nothing but improvement the last three games, and that’s a good thing to see,” Bates said. “The boys have been pretty good lately and have been pretty upbeat and playing together as a team and working some good passing and stuff like that. I’m happy with where we’re at going into playoffs.”

Pines outshot Rhinelander 24-10 in the match but struggled to put many shots on frame in the first half working against the southerlies that were quick to push indifferent looks offline. Pines had only two shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes, but had six in the second half, including the two strikes that ultimately settled the score. 

The breeze helped guide the ball past the Hodag back line, where Cody Vojta received a Guilherme Amariz Fonseca pass and deposited it behind Rhinelander keeper Barak Rappley from nearly point-blank range in the 58th minute. 

The wind played a role again in the 64th as Tyler Vojta took a corner kick and used the gusts to bend the ball right to left into the goal as Rappley’s last ditch effort to swat the shot away went for naught. 

“Barak was in position and the ball just literally bent right in from the wind. Nothing you could do about it. Barak tried, got his hands on it but he ultimately ended up pushing it in there,” Bates said. “The wind was pretty bad. Second half, with the wind jumping on us didn’t help at all, but it was the same for Pines in the first half. The wind was very blusterous this evening and it definitely helped carry the ball a lot more.”

    Rhinelander’s Dean Gillingham sends a ball forward past Northland Pines defender Nick Boxrucker during the second half of a GNC boys’ soccer game in Eagle River Thursday, Oct. 17. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Rhinelander put seven of its 10 shots on target in the match and had some decent opportunities to get on the board. Pines’ keeper Ryder Will swatted away an Aidan Lueder free kick that sought the upper left corner of the goal in the fifth minute. Dean Gillingham got free on a breakaway in the 20th minute but lofted a hurried shot high as Will left his station to challenge the attempt. 

Even against the wind in the second half the Hodags had some chances, John Turek just missed a redirection chance on the far post off a Lueder free kick in the 53rd minute. Asher Rivord got his head on the ball on a scrum inside the box in the 56th minute, but it resulted in an easy save. Defender Karter Massey pushed up into the attack late in the game and saw a clean chance from just outside the 18 go high in the 69th minute. 

“For the first 60 minutes we looked fairly even on paper,” Bates said. “Dean had a pretty good opportunity. Unfortunately, it went right over. Lueder had a couple of nice rips this evening. We had some opportunities. I can’t be upset with the boys. They played well.”

Rappley made seven saves in the loss for Rhinelander, including a point-blank chance by Fonseca in the 64th that resulted in the corner that set up Tyler Vojta’s goal.

Rhinelander concluded the regular season with a 4-9-2 record and now turns its attention to postseason play. The Hodags will open against the same team it opened the regular season — New London. 

The Bulldogs went 13-4-3 on the regular season and were 4-0 against the GNC. That included a 1-0 win at Rhinelander Aug. 27 in which Oswin Menez intercepted a goal kick and scored in the 75th minute for the lone goal of the match. Rhinelander played much of the second half down a man after Hart Hokens was sent off in the 60th minute for unsporting behavior. 

“They’re a good passing, possession team, just like Pines is,” Bates said of New London. “The more time you give them with the ball, the better opportunities they’re going to have. If the boys continue to press like they’ve been pressing the last couple of games and not allowing people to have a lot of time with the ball, they should be set up pretty well.”

Thursday’s game is set for 6 p.m. in New London. The winner will likely travel to Shawano for a regional final this Saturday — assuming the Hawks can get by the winner of tonight’s quarterfinal game between Mosinee and Merrill on Thursday.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].